Police Log: Unlocked Cars and Unsecured Items Are Easy Targets

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The news described in Westwood Minute’s Police Log article is primarily based on selected information from the Westwood Police Department’s daily log and information provided by Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and police staff. Occasionally, a few facts from other sources may be woven into these stories.

Monday, September 20, 2021

It can happen to anyone

8:43 p.m. A member of Lifetime Fitness reported to Westwood Police that the member’s government work identification had been taken from a locker while the member was working out. Several other items had been left behind. The member reporting the theft was a Boston Police officer.

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Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Unlocked items are easy targets for theft

6:08 p.m. A police officer responded to a private residence on Washington Street to take a report of multiple larcenies. A Trek mountain bike had been taken from a rack on the side of the home. It had been unlocked. A skill saw had been removed from a garden shed and a nail gun had been taken. The homeowner’s unlocked vehicles had been rummaged through, and approximately $25 had been taken. The officer conducted an extensive canvas of the area but a suspect was not able to be identified.

Lt. Sheehy notes that Westwood Police would like to remind readers to please lock vehicles at night, and outbuildings as well. Recreational equipment should be secured to an immovable object or in a locked building.

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Caring Custodian

10:45 p.m. A custodian of Thurston Middle School turned in a bike which he found abandoned as he was locking up the school. It was an orange Trek bike with black lettering and a Landrys of Norwood sticker on it. Police were able to use the bike’s serial number to track it to a Westwood family residing on Baker Street. The family was contacted and the bike was reunited with its owner.

Saturday, September 25, 2021

Good idea to label your bag

1:13 a.m. In a property check of Westwood High School, a patrol officer found three backpacks in the student parking lot, two of which contained laptops. All backpacks contained identification of ownership and belonged to three juveniles residing in Westwood. The young ladies were reunited with their backpacks later in the day.

Unlucky Timing for Phone Scammer

11:49 a.m. A police officer arrived at a residence on Porter Street to take a report that the resident had received an inordinate number phone calls asking her to purchase gift cards and provide the gift card numbers to the caller. While the officer was in the Porter Street home, the caller contacted the resident again. The resident answered the call on speaker phone.

The caller identified himself as “Ray” from the Rhode Island state lottery. Ray declined to give a last name or date of birth when asked by the officer. The officer suggested that Ray call the officer at the police station to talk further, but Ray declined. The officer informed Ray that the Porter Street resident is not interested in the solicitation and to stop calling or face criminal harassment charges. Ray denied making previous calls and hung up. 

Ray called back again. The officer reiterated the warning to leave the resident alone, and prove his legitimacy to police or face criminal harassment charges. Ray hung up.

Again, please lock your car!

3:40 p.m. A Medfield resident informed Westwood Police that on the prior day, she had been at Target around 3:30 p.m. After returning from shopping, she discovered that a work bag had been stolen from her 2014 Volkswagen Tiguan after she had returned from shopping. A computer owned by her employer, work supplies, and a pair of sunglasses had been taken. There was no indication of a forced entry. Police reviewed Target’s surveillance video, but the area where the vehicle was parked was out of view.

Sunday, September 26, 2021

Underage drinking at high school

1:57 a.m. An officer conducting a property check at Westwood High School saw three juveniles near the maintenance shed. One boy was sitting on a maintenance cart. The boys fled into the woods. A bottle of vodka was found in the cart and a can of beer was on the ground. The officer did an area search but could not find the boys. The officer was able to secure the cart inside the maintenance shed.

Some good leads

1:57 p.m. A police officer was dispatched to CVS on Washington Street to take a report of a larceny. The CVS manager reported that twenty minutes before the call to police, two females put $800 worth of Dove and Olay beauty products into bags and exited the store without paying. They left in a red Hyundai Accent, with a license plate number that the manager was able to give to the officer. The manager also provided surveillance footage which has been forwarded to the Detective Bureau for follow-up.

Where Others Fail, Persuaded by Police

5:37 p.m. Wegmans detained two female shoplifters who declined to give any identification to the store’s asset protection staff. The shoplifters, from Dedham in Massachusetts and Miramar in Florida, had attempted to steal $30 in food. The responding police officer was able to obtain their identifications and they were issued formal trespass notices. They were escorted off the property.

Thanks to Lieutenant Christopher Sheehy and the Westwood Police Department for contributing information for this article.